Railway tie plate



s- 2 1934. G. 1-. WILLARD 1,971,927

RAILWAY-TIE PLATE Filed Nov. 12, 1931 3 Mai Patent ed Aug. 28, 1934 RAILWAY TIE PLATE George T. Willard, Chicago, 111.

Application November 12, 1931, Serial No. 574,530

1 Claim.

This invention relates to railway tie plates.

tie plate by the use of which the railway rail is non-fixedly held on the tie plate, creeping of 5 the rail is retarded, the life of the tie is increased .and the necessity for respikiug of plates to tie is eliminated.

,Tie platesjin common use at present are provided with a plurality of spike holes located adjacent the edges of the rail flanges when the rail is in position on the plate, through which spikes are driven into the tie, the heads of the spikes which attach the plate to the tie functioning also to hold the rail on the plate by engaging the edges of the rail flanges. The wave motion of the rail under load usually pulls the spikes upwardly, resulting in loosening the plate from the tie and consequent mechanical wear and necessity for respiking. On the'other hand, if the connection between rail and plate and between plate and tie is a firm, rigid connection, the wave motion of the rail lifts the plate and tie from the ballast, which is highly objectionable.

The plate of my invention is adapted to overcome the objections stated, and to yieldingly or non-fixedly hold the rail on the plate without the aid of the spikes employed for attaching the plate to the tie. By providing a non-fixed connection between the rail and the plate, and by using spikes only for the purpose of attaching the plate to the tie, loosening of the spikes due to wave motion of the rail is avoided, mechanical wear between the plate and tie is reduced and the need forrespiking is practically eliminated.

Plates embodying the present invention may be made of rolled steel, cast'steel or cast iron and may be secured to the tie with cut spikes, screw spikes or bolts, or both out spikes and screw spikes or bolts. The means for holding the rail 40 on the plate may be embodied in various forms of constructions, the objects and advantages of which will more fully appear from the drawing and the following description.

, Morespecifically, the object of the invention is to produce a tie plate in which the rail retaining means are mounted in the plate in a novel manner, and in which either yielding, rigid, or semirigid; or both yielding and rigid rail retaining devices may be utilized.

In the drawing, I have embodied my invention in a tie plate provided with a flat tie bearing surface but obviously the plate bottom may be provided with transversely disposed ribs or with reinforced portions located at the stress points under the rail flange edges, or both, and the reinforced portion may be provided with a short The object of the invention is to produce a rib depending from and extending longitudinally of the reinforced portion and parallel with the rail edges. Any desired bottom construction may be used but I prefer to embody my invention in plates wherein all ribs and reinforcing members on the plate bottom are formed with rounded non-fiber cutting edges.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a tie plate embodying my invention, showing part of the rail in position on the plate.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the rail retaining device used at the left hand side of the plate of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing in part of a tie plate, a modified form of plate and rail retaining device.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing an- The plate ends are indicated at 14. The

surface 11'- may be cambered if desired.

The plate 10 is slotted from top to bottom, at each side of the rail seat 11, for the reception of rail retaining devices.

Similar rail retaining devices may be used at both sides of the rail, or, as shown, a spring metal retaining device 15 may be used at one side and a rigid or semirigid retaining device 16 at the other side.

The spring metal retaining device 15, shown at the left hand side of Fig. 1, and in plan view in Fig. 2, comprises a rail engaging arm 17, a plate engaging arm 18 and an intermediate curved portion 19. The slot 20 in the plate 10 is adapted to receive the platev engaging arm 18 of the holding device 15, the length of the slot 20 being determined by the width of the rail retaining device 15. The slot 20 is preferably rectangular in horizontal cross section and uniform in size from the top of the plate to a point somewhat above the bottom of the plate, where said slot is extended toward the center of the plate as indicated at 21, and a shoulder 22 is formed, against the lower surface of which the plate bearing arm 18 is adapted to bear.

The slot 20 -21 forms an L-shaped recess in the plate, It may be formed in the rolling process, by rolling a groove across the bottom surface, to the depth of the recess 21 and combined width of slots 20-21, and then punching through 110 the grooved part of the plate to form Intermittent depressions may be rolled into the bottom surface of the plate,'to the depth of the recess 21, and then the plate may be punched through at the depressed portions to make the slot 20-21. The recess 20-21 may also be formed in the finishing process, when the tie plate is sheared and punched, bysub-punching .or direct punching.

Referring to the right hand side of Fig. 1, the recess 2021 is similar to that just described, excepting that it is located slightly outwardly of the edge of the rail seat 11 and removed from the inner side surface of the shoulder 13. A rigid-or semi-rigid railretaining device 16 is shown in the recess 2021. It comprises arail retaining arm 23, a plate bearing arm24, and an intermediate portion 25. I

In using rigid-or semi-rigid retaining devices such as the device 16, a three point contact with the plate 10 is provided by the bearing of the retaining device against the shoulder 22, the side wall 26 of the recess'20, and the top of the shoulder 13, the arm 23 overhanging the rail 12. In using the spring metal retaining device 17, a two point contact with the sufaces 22 and 26 of the plate is provided, and the third point of contact is between the rail 12 and the yielding arm 17. The dotted lines indicate the normal shape of the retaining devices before being sprung into their operative positions in the plate.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 539,- 202, filed May 22, 1931, I have shown tie plates provided with means for non-fixedly holding the rail on the plate, and fully described the use'of means fortemporarily converting said means for non-fixedly holding therail on the plate into means for rigidly holding the rail and plate together, forthe purpose of allowing the track to be raised by lifting or jacking up of the rail without distorting or otherwise injuring the rail retaining means. As there explained, a wedge shaped object may be inserted between the rail flange and the overhanging arm of the rail retaining device for temporarily establishing a rigid connection between rail and plate, permitting lifting of the track by jacking up of the rails. Y

By using a spring metal retaining device such as the device 15 at one side of the rail, and a rigid or semi-rigid device such as 16 at the other side of the rail, I secure the benefit of the yielding engagement between the arm 17 and the rail flange, to retard creeping of the rail, and at the same time I am e'nabled, by the use of a wedge with the rigid or'semi-rigid device 16, to establish a rigid connection between the plate and rail for track lifting purposes. 2

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the plate 10 is provided with a rail abutting shoulder 2'7 which is grooved as indicated at 28. The slot 29 which extends from the top of the plate to the bottom of the plate is extended inwardly at 30 to forma shoulder 31' which is preferably curved or cup-shaped, and forms a bearing surface for the plate bearing arm 32 of the retainirig device 33. Said retaining device has, a railoverhanging arm 34 and a curved bearing ribthe slot 20. 35 for engaging the groove 28 of the shoulder 27.

By reason of the engagement of the parts 32, 35 of the rail retaining device 33 with the bearing surfaces 28 and 31 of the tie plate, said rletaining device will be held in its intended position, by the two point contact, without the aid of separate fastening means.

In Fig. 4 another modified form of rafl retaining device 36 is shown, the same extending through the recess 37-38 and bearing against the lower surface of the shoulder 39 and the top surface of the rail abutting shoulder 40. In this modification the rail abutting shoulder 40 is not grooved and the, retaining device 36 is preferably held in its intended position by a metal insert 41', which may be of any desired form.

The rail retaining devices contemplated by the foregoing description are capable of being sprung or forced into operative position under tension. Preferably one device for each plate is sufiiciently rigid so that in the raising of the rail in track, the rail will engage the overhanging arm of the I retaining device and lift the plate and tie'out of the ballast without distorting the retaining device.

While I have not shown any means for fastening the plate to the tie, it will be understood that the plate may be fastened to the tie with screw spikes or bolts, or other means, either while the tie is in the track or before it has .been installed in track. N

The top surfaces of the recesses 21, 30 and 38 are preferably horizontal or nearly horizontal and parallel to the top surface of the tie so that the lower ends of the retaining devices have bearing against the shoulders 22, 31 or 39, at nearly right angles to a yertical upward pull such as is exerted by the upward thrust of the rail. The recesses described may be eliminated in 2 case the ties are cut out to allow the lower portion of the retaining devices to be placed under and bear against the bottom surface of the tie plate.

The recess in the bottom of the tie plate may also be used to receive the head of a flat, oblong headed bolt which may be inserted from the top of the plate after the plate has been fastened to the tie, and then the bolt may be turned in A the slot to bring the head of the bolt into engagement with the shoulder in the recess. A,

bolt thus connected to the plate is adapted to receive an apertured spring or rigid retaining device to hold a rail or a rail joint bar.

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown. and described, except as set forth in the appended claim I claim-v I A railway tie plate provided with a rail seat and a rail abutting shoulder adjacent each side of the rail seat, said plate being provided at each side of the rail seat with a recess extending from top to bottom of the plate, and'a rail retaining device located in the recess, said device having a three-point contact with the recessed plate and having an arm overhanging the rail 

